Best Betts

Trisha Yearwood Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love Big Machine With her first album for Big Machine, after 15 years on the MCA label, Trisha has re-emerged showing more of a frisky, fun side than we’ve heard in some time. Sure, she still knows her way around a killer ballad – and there are two of them on the album (“This Is Me You’re Talking To,” and “Help Me”), but uptempo surprises abound, including the swingin’, sexy, “Cowboys Are My Weakness,” and the blues rockin’ “Drown Me.” The mixture makes for Trisha’s most fully satisfying album in a long, long time. George Strait 22 More Hits MCA Nashville Perennial heavy-hitter George Strait is to country music what Ted Williams was to baseball. It seems like each time either of them stepped up to the plate, he effortlessly hit one out of the park. But most George Strait fans probably have no clue that such signature tunes as “Amarillo by Morning,” “The Fireman,” “Unwound,” and “Overnight Success,” never hit No. 1. It hardly matters. Each one in its own way is an enduring classic. This collection of almost two-dozen of King George’s nearly-made-its is first rate all the way. Any of George Strait’s hits compilations is an important addition to a true country music fan’s CD collection, and this one’s no exception. Chart-wise, it may not be full of home runs, but there are plenty of thrilling doubles and triples to relive again and again.